The price of crude oil increased to near 81 dollars a barrel during electronic trading today in Asia, together with all the major stock indexes in the region. The price of energy input is about to celebrate third growth in the last four weeks, after having surged by 1.2 percent over the past five days. Reason for today’s rise in oil gave news that the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) will cut oil supplies by 2.3 percent within months, ending on March 20. Countries that are members of OPEC, the source of about 40% of global oil supplies. U.S. light crude for delivery in April, is rising by 60 cents, or 0.8 percent, to 80.81 dollars a barrel during electronic trading today on the New York oil exchange. By the end of the session on Thursday, oil futures fell by 66 cents to 82.21 dollars per barrel. Meanwhile, the price of Brent rose by 64 cents, or 0.8 percent, to 79.18 dollars per barrel in today’s times of electronic commerce in the international petroleum exchange in London. The April oil futures ended the session yesterday with a decrease in price by 0.9 percent to 78.54 dollars per barrel.
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The quotes of the Asian oil trade fell below $ 75 a barrel, reaching almost to the monthly minimum, and the main reason, according to Reuters agency have poor economic data in Asia and especially the increasing demand for currency to replenish the reserve of some large banks China. Additional indicator for the lowering of prices was news that the economic growth of South Korea has slowed down during the last quarter of 2009 due to three factors: reduced export demand and crouching low public spending. All this led to a decrease by 85 cents a quotation of U.S. light sweet crude for March delivery at $ 74.42 a barrel. When Brent was also reported a decline of 80 cents to $ 72.89 a barrel on supply in March. Players expect the oil market statistics for stocks in the United States to take their decision how to proceed until the end of the week. This information will be made tomorrow on two channels – from the American Petroleum Institute (API) and Energy Information Agency (EIA).
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The rally in Asian and Pacific stock markets continue after China reported the export of its first annual growth for the past 14 months in December. The growth of imports of goods into the country to record levels has an even better sign for the prospects of the global economy. Moreover, last year China has become the biggest market for cars gain on U.S. forward Bloomberg. Sales of cars, buses and trucks in the country increased by 46% yoy to 13.6 million units compared to 10.4 million units in the United States. The regional index MSCI Asia Pacific, excluding Japan, rose by 1.1 percent during today’s session at 432.24 points. Most of extractive companies that helped after the delivery of copper in three months rose by nearly 3% to 7 675 dollars per metric ton on the London Stock Exchange. Gold price, in turn, jumped to a record 1.8 percent last month to 1 158.4 dollars an ounce. With increased session ended in Shanghai, where the Shanghai Composite rose by 0.5 percent to 3 212.75 points, led by financial companies and those in the real estate sector. Yesterday it became clear that exports to China increased by 17.7% yoy in December to 130.7 billion dollars, while imports of Asian countries increased by nearly 56 percent to a record high value of 112.3 billion dollars. Complete with increased trade and exchange in Hong Kong where the Hang Seng added 0.5% to its value at 22 411.52 points. More strongly increased the index of blue chips in Australia S & P / ASX 200, which rose by 0.8 percent to 4 950.7 points, supported by extractive companies. New Zealand NZX 50 closed session, however, negative territory, losing 0.2 percent to 3 303.75 points.
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After a painful downturn last week, most stock indexes in Asia and the Pacific region began this week with significant increases. Optimism prevailed among investors after the United Arab Emirates (UAE) said they would support their banks, which fell into difficulty because of the insolvency of the investment fund Dubai World. Most local currencies rose, and risk premiums on corporate bonds fell. The regional index MSCI Asia Pacific, which monitors the securities markets in ten Asian countries plus Australia and New Zealand, rose 3.5 percent to 117.85 points. This is the strongest measure of stock market growth since the beginning of April this year. Today, the UAE central bank said it stands behind the credit companies in the seven Arab Emirates, and the government of China confirmed that it will not hurry to withdraw its measures to support the economy. The financial companies in the composition of the MSCI Asia Pacific contributed most to the strong increase of the index today after last week suffered the most along the news about the financial problems of Dubai. The main stock index fell in Dubai with a record 7.2 percent last year, and the Abu Dhabi stock slid more than 8%. Today was the first business day of the exchanges in the UAE, which closed late last week because of holidays in the Arab world. The Japanese Nikkei 225 rose by 2.9 percent to 9345.6 points. Shares of exporting companies rose, although the rate of the yen against the dollar increased by 0.7 percent today. This increases the cost of Japanese goods companies abroad. In India, the BSE Sensex 30 rose 1.7 percent to 914.1 points to 16 after the country’s economy grew more than expected by 7.9 percent for the period July-September compared to last year.
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The main stock indexes in the United States did not make an exception and also went to negative territory in early session today after holiday similar to those in Asia and Europe. Among losers ran those companies from the financial, energy and extractive industries. Reason for this were concerns about the inability of the state’s largest investment holding company of Dubai to pay its obligations. The way in which world financial markets reacted to news about the financial difficulties of the emirate of Dubai, showed how market participants remain sensitive to any bad news from the financial sector. Today’s trading will be shortened by half and therefore the liquidity is expected to remain low until the end of the trading session, which will end at 20:00 pm local time. The index of the 30 most liquid companies large and Dow Jones IA decreases by 1.2% to 10 341.6 points an hour and a half after the beginning of the session. On Wednesday, the stock measure reached its highest peak in the last 13 months of good data on the housing market and the labor market. A broader index S & P 500 also lost 1.2 percent to 1 097.3 points, after the very beginning of the session are reduced by 2.5%. The index, which combines all companies in exchange Nasdaq – Nasdaq Composite, retreated 1% to 2 153.5 points.
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